Exploring
by TroubledThoughts
Summary: High school fic, NaruHina. Ever wondered why Hinata's so shy? Ever wondered why she and Naruto would make such a good pair? Ever wondered if she's as innocent as she seems? Ever wondered why band kids are such perverts? Find out.
1. Intro

**Hello there. As you can tell, I have been totally distracted for a while now. School, band, new amazing wonderful sweet sexy smart awesome boyfriend. (Mostly the boyfriend part) =) So if you are a wonderful fan of mine, who I love very very much, and that would be ALL my fans, and are very patiently waiting for another chapter of Perfect Insanity, it will be out at the very soonest I can manage! I promise! If you haven't read it... check it out, you just might like it.****Anyway, about this story. They **_**are**_** in high school, and most of the characters are in the school band. As of right now, I'm sure that Naruto, Hinata, Kiba, Lee, Neji, Tenten, and Sakura are. Most of this story could be rated T, buuuuttt... I'm not sure where the ending's going, if you catch my drift. *ahem* Pairing is most definitely Hinata and Naruto, and I might just find a guy for Sakura too while I'm at it. I'll give her her own little story within this story, how's that sound? Oh, and if you catch me speaking in band nerd, I will do my very best to translate. Thus, if you see a little asterisk next to something, you can go down to after the end of the chapter and there will be an explanation. =) ****Alright. I don't own Naruto or any of its characters, as much as I wish I did. That's about it. Enjoy.**

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Exploring, a NaruHina fic**

"Come on Hinata!!" Sakura demanded. "You _have_ to ask him!!"

"But.... but, but, I... can't." Hinata told her very best friend. It was kind of odd how the two girls had bonded over the years, with Hinata's shy personality and Sakura's outspoken one. They were the top two sax players in the school's band, though, and they were both sophomores this year, (along with Hinata's long-time crush, Naruto. who was the only decent trumpet player they had, as far as the two girls were concerned.) so naturally, the two girls were close, and it's true that they fought quite a bit, but they loved like sisters too. Though Sakura barely ever listened to anyone else, she'd always listen to Hinata, because Hinata needed someone to confide in, and Sakura knew that. So when Hinata had recently told her pink-haired friend about her crush, Sakura had none too gently 'encouraged' her to tell him, and lately there had 'just happened to be' somewhere Sakura had to be when the three of them were together, and she would always find a way to drag whoever else was with them along with her, leaving Naruto and Hinata alone together. And those moments could get pretty awkward.

"Yes! You can! You've done much harder things! You aced your Senior Clinic tryout and you're sitting third chair Blue Band as a sophomore*. How many people have done that, Hinata? And your drawings were accepted to the Scribes book, and they're really picky. And how many people are in there? Plus you got that really high grade in Mr. Hatake's Chem class, and _everyone's_ failing that class."

"Well... those are... those are different. Anyone can do that."

"No, they can't! Just do it Hinata! Or I will."

"No! Please no! Please Sakura, please don't!

"Then go ask him yourself."

"But!"

"Do it!"

"Okay, okay, I will. Okay?"

Sakura grinned victoriously. "Okay."

Hinata sighed in relief.

"Today." Sakura pushed.

"Tomorrow." Hinata argued.

"Todaaaayyyy..."

"To-mo-rrow." She insists.

"Fine, tomorrow. But you better do it tomorrow."

**-The Next Day, English 10 Class, 2nd Period-**Hinata jumped slightly in her chair, and turned around.

"What is it Naruto?" She asked, wondering why the beautiful blond boy that sat behind her and often copied off her papers had poked her in the back of her neck with a pencil eraser.

He hands her a note. "Its from Sakura."

She takes it, rolling her eyes, and shooting an annoyed look at the pink haired girl that was a few seats back from her and over a row.

Sakura just smiled. Hinata turned back and unfolded it quietly, as to not catch the attention of her red-eyed teacher**. That woman scared her sometimes.

_'So, when are you gonna do it?'__  
_  
Was all the piece of notebook paper said.

'_Later.'_Oh, how she hoped Sakura wouldn't go on with this, especially now, with the possibility of Naruto seeing all of it. She handed it back to Naruto, who gave it back to Sakura, and she went back to working on a page of what was essentially busy work.

'_When later?'_ She sighed.

_'Afterschool later.' _she handed it back with a look that said 'you better stop', but she wasn't surprised when she got the note back once again.

'_That's __forever__ from now!'__'Not really.'__'Just __ask him!__ what's the worst that could happen?'__'He could say no, and then totally hate me forever and never talk to me ever again, and I couldn't deal with that.'_She heard Sakura sigh.

_'Hinata, its __Naruto.__ You know he wouldn't do that._'

In all honesty, deep down inside, she really did know that. She scratched out Naruto's name, panicking that he would see it, then he'd know, and if he had to know, she didn't want him to find out like this.

_'He might. Now please don't write me back. I need to get this done.' _She knew that Sakura knew that that was a lie.

She looked over at her pink-haired friend, who gave her an annoyed look.

It didn't help they were answering questions about a Greek play about two lovers. In fact, for once, Hinata couldn't concentrate on her work. And when Naruto asked her about a question, she was embarassed to find that she couldn't even think straight long enough to give him a clear answer.

_Shit. I'm doing this today._

_**

* * *

**_

*Senior Clinic- A competition during concert band where students in the state try out to get into a select orchestra of 10-12th graders, and perform after rehearsing for two days straight. There are four orchestras students can be put into and are placed by talent, range of notes, and ability to sightread (sit down and read a piece of music for the first time and then play it.) They had tryouts in the summer, but will not be performing until winter.

_**  
**__**Blue Band- The highest of these four bands. Third chair Blue Band means she is the third best sax player in the state.**__**  
**__****Anko, by the way. xD Can you imagine her as an English teacher?**_

_**Next chapter will be longer, I promise! This was just kind of a little intro sort of thing. It gets so much better.**__**  
**__**I love you all!**_


	2. The Question

**Chapter 2 is up! :)****  
****Got so much inspiration right now, I'm so happy!****  
****Holy Beep! 78 Hits and 3 Favorites and counting in less than a day, a little less than 12 hours. What can I say? I write a good hook. And Fanfiction kids are awesome of course. :)****  
****Please don't write to me and tell me this isn't how Neji and Hinata are in the manga. I know that. That's why this is fanfiction, it doesn't have to be accurate. If so many fangirls can turn Sasuke into a girl to justify their own fantasies, I can change Neji and Hinata's family situation. You'll see what I mean when you read it.****  
****Also, her parents are divorced, and she lives with just her dad. ********I don't own ****Naruto****. And the only warning for this chapter is just a bit of language.  
******

Enjoy ;)  


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**-Later That Day, After School-****  
**  
Today was a practice day. A Tuesday, to be exact. And every Tuesday and Thursday, all 130 band members had to stay after school an extra 2 hours until 5:30. And every Tuesday and Thursday, Sakura's mom took Hinata home, because every Tuesday and Thursday, Hinata's father didn't get home til 6:00, sometimes later.

Today was also really, really hot. Hinata felt sweat drip from her short purple hair onto the black and pink tanktop she'd all but stolen from Sakura, since her father definitely would not approve of an article of clothing that showed her off that well. She so wanted to wipe the sweat from her forehead, but Neji, their drum major, had called them to attention*, and Hinata was more afraid than the average band kid to disobey him, simply because of the way the two were connected.

Neji was stronger than her, smarter than her, older than her, and had much better luck and much better skills than she did. He was just all around better than her, and her family did not hesitate to remind her of this whenever they saw her by bragging about his accomplishments, or asking her about him, or just plain ignoring her when he was around. Her father had even asked her several different times why she couldn't be 'more like Neji'.

And so she had a fear for him, which really, deep down inside, was not fear, but hate. She just knew she could never show it, so she replaced it with a reverent fear for him.

She looked up at him, lavender eyes following his pale face. She mentally shook off the thoughts of inferiority thinking of him always brought.

"Opening set of the show! Go!" Neji called, and everyone started running. In the rush, Hinata ran smack into Naruto, and went stumbling backwards.

"S-sorry!" she apologizes, slightly dazed.

"Don't worry 'bout it." Naruto says, giving her a quick hug before taking off running again.

Her body glowed with his touch, a happy chill creeping over her skin. 'He hugged me...' she smiles, still standing somewhere around the 45 (yardline), grinning like an idiot, halfway to her set.

"HYUUGA!" Hinata jumped then flinched at the sound of Neji calling her name, then turned to look at him. "Is that your set?"

"No." she says, and starts running, apologizing profusely. Not surprisingly, she was the last one there. She cursed to herself and then they were called to attention once again.

They ran through the whole show, and Hinata managed to get through without failing too badly, like tripping over her own feet or playing the wrong part at the wrong time. Her heart wasn't in it though, like it usually was. She couldn't get what she wanted to say to him off of her mind. _'I mean, how do I just_ ask him?_ Just walk up and say, Naruto, I've loved you forever, date me? That sounds ridiculous. I could go for the shy girl, I know I'd be good at it...'_ At that she nearly had to stop playing trying to resist a scornful laugh from escaping her lips. _'Well, Naruto, you know, I was just... wondering... if maybe...'_ No, that obviously would never work. She'd run off before she got a chance to say what she needed to say. No, she needed _bold, _she needed _confident,_ she needed... everything that Sakura had that she didn't. Damn. _'Well, what's so wrong with being confident? And why can't I do it?'_ She couldn't think of a good answer for either, leaving her only with the fact that she was going to ask him. Today. Confidently. And that she was crazy. Yep, definately crazy. But she was going to do it.

**-After Practice-**She walked in from the field with Sakura, who gave her what was basically the pep talk of the century about how pretty and amazing and kind she was and how Naruto should be falling head over heels for her. Yeah, that sort. And so with that in mind, Hinata walked into the bar.****(No its not an actual bar, read the note before you freak out) **She put up her sax, making sure to be careful to not splinter the reed. She goes slowly, putting a t-shirt over Sakura's tanktop, and slowly untying her shoes and putting sandals on. She even walked with Haku to get a note from the band director. All this in hopes maybe she'd come back and she could be alone with Naruto without being obvious about wating to be alone with Naruto. But there were kids just lingering around in the bar, talking to each other, waiting arond until there was somone to pick them up or whatever. And they wouldn't go away.

And she chickened out. Sure enough, she chickened out. And she walked right out of the bar, and headed to Sakura's car.

She never made it there. Her dear friend Sakura stood at the door to the parking lot and shook her head. "No."

"N-No what?"

"You're not leaving. Not til you ask him."

"But... but there's people there and... I wanna get him alone and... We have to leave, I don't want your parents to be mad for making them wait." Hinata drags on with the longest excuses she could come up with. But she knew she was fighting a losing battle when Sakura started tapping her foot impatienly and giving her that look that said 'go'. Sakura grabs her shoulders, turns her around and makes her walk right back into the bar. To Hinata's dismay, the only two people left were Naruto and Kiba, Naruto's close trumpet player friend. The two looked startled when the girls walked in, and Kiba turned, eyes widened slightly.

"Oh, you're... still here..." Kiba comments softly.

"Yeah, Inuzuka, got a problem with it?" Sakura challenges.

"Maybe I do Haruno." He taunts back.

"Well you better get over it."

"Really? I'd better? Who says? A little pink-haired girl like you?"

"Hell yes a pink-haired girl like me! So now what, you don't like my hair either?"

"Can you two go argue somewhere else?" Naruto complains.

"Suuuure." Sakura agrees a bit too happily.

"Thank you."

They walk out and silence makes itself known between the two 15 year olds.

"Naruto?"

"Hinata?"

They both blurt out each other's names at the exact same time.

"Um, go ahead." Naruto allows.

"No, no, you first, its okay."

"Uh, I don't really know how to say it. Go first. I'm sure yours isn't as complicated..."

_'If you only knew'_ she thinks sarcastically. _'oh the irony'_

"Well... Sakura won't let me go home til I tell you something."

That was a good enough excuse right?

Naruto laughs slightly. "Well, that's Sakura. What is it?"

"I..." She slides down against the wall, holding her head in her hands. _'Damn it Hinata! Damn it! Just say it! _"I want to be your girlfriend." She admits, feeling such a huge amount of weight lifted off her shoulders for finally admitting to the crush she'd had since the 8th grade.

The words rang in both of their ears as they both realized what she had just said.

Naruto looks at Hinata.

Hinata looks at Naruto.

* * *

**CLIFFHANGER! :) gotcha!****What will he say??****  
**

**If this is obvious, and I am insulting anyone, I'm sorry.****  
**_*****__**Drum major**__**- Basically the **__**leader of the band**__**. Their main job is to conduct and to keep everyone in line when the actual director isn't around. I thought Neji would be perfectly suited for this. Neji is also a senior in this story. Tenten is assistant drum major, meaning she is a grade below him and will be drum major next year.**_** (I'm thinking of writing a little oneshot with them in this 'world'. Yes? No? Hell No? Maybe?)****  
**_**Attention- If you've ever heard the drum major yell 'Band ten hut', it's because he or she's calling them to attention. When the band is called, they all yell 'pride'.When you're at attention, you are not allowed to move or talk, and in this band, if you move at all or talk, you get 5 laps around the practice field. Yeah, they take it pretty seriously. By the way, the field they practice on is lined just like a football field, but its pavement.**_

_****Bar- Stands for 'Band Accessory Room. It's where everyone keeps their instruments and cases and any other stuff they need for class. Its also unsupervised almost all the time, so some crazy shit happens in there sometimes... xD**_

**Comments will make you loved very much!! Ya might even get a free cookie. ;)****  
****Hm. I'm in an awesome mood. I'll hopefully continue with this tomorrow, just cause this is kind of a quickie so I can clear my mind again for **_**Perfect Insanity**_**, but there will be quite a few chapters if all goes well.**


	3. The Answer, And More

**You all make me **_**so happy :). **_**I got about five more 'favorite's and even a few reviews. I am lovin life!****  
****Also, I am loving my amazing boyfriend, who continues to inspire me to no end. ****  
****Cliffhanger**** resolution right here.****  
****Warning for language and an almost sexual scene. I ...guess...****  
****Don't own Naruto.****  
****Enjoy. ;)**

"I really want to be your girlfriend."

Naruto looks at Hinata.

Hinata looks at Naruto, searching for any indication of an answer. His face was blank however.

"So... so will you um...?" She was starting to second-guess herself.

"Be your man?"

"Y-yeah." Her heart soared...

"Yes." He looks at her warmly and helps her up and pulls her into a hug, in one motion. "Definitely yes."

She hugs him back, so tightly, so happy he was finally hers. "Oh Naruto..." she sighs happily. She couldn't get the smile off her face and neither could he.

They let go and pull back, holding hands for a short moment before separating. "I... I should go, Sakura's waiting on me." She picks up her schoolbag. She started to walk out the door, but comes back to hug him tight one last time, unable to resist her excited energy.

He hugs her and puts one hand on the back of her head, gently holding her to his chest.

She smiles even wider, feeling already as if she was _his_.

She pulls away and quickly walks out of the bar after saying goodbye. She came around the corner to find her best friend leaning back against the red and white wall, a look of shock painted on her face "Sakura, what happened?" She demanded, worried about her best friend/almost sister. She instantly knew that Kiba had done something, it had to have been him, and Hinata was scared of what it was, the way the two fought constantly. They both had really bad tempers sometimes, and they always had something to argue with each other about, but he must have done something really over-the-top this time.

Sakura took notice of the purple haired girl, and the shock disappears from her face and she smooths her black skirt. "I'll tell you after you tell me about you and _Naruto!_" She offered, saying the trumpet player's name in a singsong voice. They start walking slowly to the door.

"Well..." She starts, already blushing brightly, "I asked him, finally, and..." She looks down at her shiny silver sandals.

"And...?!" Sakura demands.

"And he said yes." Hinata says, the words bringing a renewed smile to her face. She looked over at Sakura, who jumped on her, attacking her in a huge hug.

"Oh Hina!! You two will be _so perfect_, and_ so cute_! I just _know it!_"

"Thanks Sakura." Hinata says, used to the way Sakura could get with these kinds of things, and not really minding anymore. She just smiled at the other girl's antics now.

"More details when we get in the car, Saka, but tell me yours. Why did you look so scared? He didn't hurt you, did he Saka? Cause I'll go kick his ass for you, I don't care if he's bigger than me, no one messes with my sister."

**-Sakura and Kiba, while ****Naruto and Hinata**** were having their 'talk'-******

"Can you guys fight somewhere else?"

"Suuuure" Sakura said, devious grin on her face. This was the perfect chance for Hinata to be alone with Naruto, even if it _did_ mean she had to be with that damn arrogant trumpet player.

Kiba purposely tripped her as they walked out into the hallway, so after she got her feet back under her, she gave him a shove.

"Rude!!" she commented, "pushing girls like that..." She pouted.

"What about you? Shoving people around like that? Didn't anyone ever teach you manners?"

"I don't need to use them around you. You don't deserve my respect." Sakura spat.

"I think I know well enough what I _deserve_." He glared at her.

"And so do I. _I_ deserve to be treated like a lady, Inuzuka."

"Why?" He asked, downright disrespect in his voice.

"Because I am one, and _you_ are just a boy."

"I am _not!"___

"So you admit you're a girl then, Inuzuka?" Sakura makes the point, amused smirk on her face.

"NO!!!" He shouts. "I'm not _just_ a boy. I'm a _man_, and I'm _very_ important." He counters, with a smug look on his face.

"Oh really?" she asks, sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes _really._"

"Well, a _true_ man would treat a woman like a lady." Sakura smiles. _'checkmate.'_ she knew she'd won with one.

"Maybe I could... If you weren't such a bitch." He says, cold arrogant smile on his face.

"_Excuse me!?"_ Sakura demands.

_"I said..._ I'd treat you like a lady if you _weren't -- such -- a -- b i t c h." _He dragged out his words tauntingly.

"Fuck you." Sakura mouths, giving him a death glare. She winds up and punches him as hard as she can, in the stomach.

All he had to do though, was tense up those _beautiful_ ab muscles, and he wouldn't feel a thing. In fact, she knew this even as her fist collided with his solid body. She even thought about it. Everyone knows he's got _the best_ body in the whole band... Wait, _what!?_

"Yeah, Haruno, that one _really _hurt. How 'bout you try _pulling hair and scratching_ next time?" He laughs at her.

And Sakura went for the cheap shot. She brought her knee up as quick and hard as she could, to hit him in the balls, but Kiba, smooth as ever, found a way out of it. In one fluid motion, he grabbed her knee (without hurting her, he knew she was _real_ flexible) and pulled it up around his hip, totally revealing Sakura's hot pink panties beneath her black skirt, and pushed her rather small, lithe form up against the wall, bringing the faces inches from each other.

Two sets of eyes widened.

Two faces leaned forward.

Two sets of lips met passionately.

And then he was gone, disappeared before Sakura could even gather her wits enough to respond to the shock of him kissing her. Or maybe it was her kissing him... No... That couldn't be right.

And that's when Hinata came around the corner.

**-Back to Present, Hinata and Sakura-******

"Well, he called me a bitch and then kissed me." Sakura said dryly.

"What!?" That was honestly _the_ last thing Hinata would have ever expected.

"Yep, he called me a bitch, and kissed me, and ran off."

"Why...?" Hinata asks, really really wondering what the hell Kiba was thinking.

"No idea." Which was true, true as the look of disgust on her face. The look of disgust that had the oddest random urge to turn into a smile. Sakura disregarded it.

"There's more though, I'll call you tonight." She says, as the two got into the car.

"Hey girls!" Sakura's mom greeted them. "How was your day?" She was a cheerful lady, with a cute red smile, and the same pink hair as Sakura. She was slightly chubby and looked like... well, a mother. But the kind all the other kids wanted to have. And she was. In fact, with Hinata's mom not around, and her dad might as well not be, Sakura's parents had taken her in in a way. She called the sweet pink-haired woman 'mommy', as she needed someone to call that, she'd never really _had_ that. And it was just like having a much older friend. Hinata could tell her just about anything, they were almost as close as she and Sakura were. And, really, she loved her like a mother, and her mother treated her just like she was Sakura's sister. She loved having the love of a mother, of a family, because really, until she met Sakura and her family, it was just something she had gone without.

"Good." they both chime.

"Hinata got a booooyyyyfriiieeend!!" Sakura yelled, the last word in a singsongy voice, as they pulled out of the parking lot.

"Oooooohhh." Her mom says, laughing good-heartedly. "I bet I can guess... It's that Uzumaki boy, isn't it?" She giggles.

"How'd you guess, mommy?" Hinata giggles back.

"Oh, I've seen the two of you. You're so adorable together." She smiles at her adoptive daughter.

"Thanks" Hinata says, blushing. She got the feeling she was going to hear that a lot.

**Really **_**really**_** sorry that that took so terribly long. My mom's car broke down, so she hasn't gone to work the past few mornings, and that's the only time I have that I can be sure I won't get caught that I can publish and upload things, so its just come at a really bad time, and I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. If it were up to me, this would have been out Wednesday morning, believe it or not. Anyway, thank you sooo much for your patience, and the next chapter should be out real soon.******

**So, Sakura and Kiba, eh? They would make for a pretty fierce sex scene, the way they both can be so vicious... Aaaanyway... Not even sure m'self where these two are going. Lovers? Enemies? Shocking best friends? Only time will tell.******

**Much love, ****  
****Rosalina.**


	4. The Phone Calls

**_Okay, so the amazing, wonderful, hot boyfriend who was my entire inspiration for this story became the damn trumpet player douche who left me for a fucking clarinet player about two weeks ago.  
Thats why you wonderful fans have been really patient and awesome and waited like a month for your NaruHina update. :D  
So, without further ado, I present chapter 4 of Exploring._**

"Hello?"

"Hey Hina, its me."

"Hey Sakura, so tell me. What happened? Tell me alllll about it."

"Well..." She launched into the long and confusing story.

"We were fighting, like we were when we walked out of the bar. And I punched him in the stomach, but it didn't matter, cause he has, like, the best abs _ever..."_

"I think I disagree." Hinata says, grinning on the other end of the phone.

"You _would._ Cause I'm sure you're way too busy staring at Naruto's..."

"So what?" She answers, blushing.

"Oh nothing. Nothing at all. Anyway, I didn't mean in a _hot_ kind of way or anything, I'm just saying, you can, you know, _tell_ that they're there, and that he's really strong and... _stuff..._"

Hinata raised an eyebrow, wondering where her friend was going with this. Either the boy had nice abs or he didn't. And Hinata was pretty sure the other girl was just afraid to admit he did. "Okay, Sakura. Whatever you say. Go on."

She heard Sakura sigh. "So I hit him, and it didn't hurt him, and that made me angry, so I went to kick him in the balls, but he, like, wrapped my leg around him. And then just like stared me down, and... kissed me."

"That's... weird..."

"And you know the even weirder part?" Sakura asked, her voice slightly distressed.

"What?"

"I think I kissed him too. Cause, I mean, we kinda both leaned forward at the same time, and... Hinata, I have no idea what I was thinking!"

"Don't worry about it, Saka, it was probably just the hormones making themselves known. He's a sixteen year old guy with a nice body. It's only natural to wanna do stuff if you're that close."

"But Hinata, it's... Kibaaaa... and he's... just..." she makes an annoyed sound.

Hinata rolled her eyes. Her best friend was so clueless sometimes. "Well, what happened after that?"

"He just ran off. Just, like, disappeared. Then you came around the corner."

"So... you kissed him but didn't like it."

"Yeah. Well... mostly."

"You mostly kissed him or mostly didn't like it?"

"Mostly didn't like it..." She admitted shamefully.

Hinata smiled. Either Sakura really was confused, or she was _deeply_ in denial with herself and everyone else. "You like him, don't you? I mean. like, really deep down, farther than you usually look. You really like him."

"Hell no!! I don't care how far you're gonna look, girl, I hate that damn boy."

"Alright, Sakura, whatever you say. As long as _you_ know you're telling the truth."

"Of course I know!" Sakura answers, all huffy. "So anyway, you and _Naruto _eh?"

The shy girl blushed. "Yes. W-what about me and N-naruto?"

It was Sakura's turn to laugh at her best friend.

"I don't know. You guys are just so perfect."

"I'm gonna get really tired of hearing that." Hinata said, adding a good-natured laugh. "But... I think so too, so it's okay. I mean, I still can't believe he actually said yes..."

**--Naruto's House, 12:30 PM--**

Naruto, for the fourth time in the past ten minutes, tried to clear his mind of the sweet, shy, beautiful girl that was now his. He still couldn't believe she'd worked up the courage to ask him. Or that she liked him that way in the first place. He couldn't even think of very many times she had even talked to him. Other than recently, anyway. Recently, they had been alone together more than he had ever talked to her the entire eighth grade. That was odd. Maybe she had just taken an interest in him. He should ask her. There were a lot of things he should ask her.

Okay, for the _fifth_ time. Damn it, Naruto, you'll see her tomorrow. Go to sleep. You were tired enough after practice...

He concentrates on steadying his breathing, _pretending_ to be asleep. He'd learned that usually, if you pretended hard enough, you actually would go to sleep.

In and out, and in and out, and in and out...

Slowly, he began to drift into a dream.

The first thing to come was the waves. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore of a beach, somewhere far away.

The second thing was the sight of an orange-red sun, setting, descending gracefully into the ocean. Slowly, his mind painted the entire sunset, pink and red and yellow, just the same as he remembered from that day, and just the same as he always saw it in his dreams. As always, he felt a hand in his, and then the cold, cold saltwater rush and ebb against his small tan feet.

He looked up, blue eyes filled with contentment, as a smile spread across his young face.

As always, he heard the beautiful sound of _her_ laugh.

And then the song 'To Be Loved'* scared him right out of his dreams.

He fumbled around in the darkness under his bed for his cell phone.

'Incoming Call From: Kiba' It read.

Naruto mumbled something about 'damn Kiba' and '1AM', then pressed talk and answered with a gravelly "Hello?"

"Naruto?"

"Who else?" He says, annoyedly.

"I need to talk to you. I need you to figure me out again."

Naruto sighed. This wasn't the first time they'd been through this whole 'calling in the middle of the night cause Kiba couldn't think straight' thing. "Alright. Talk to me."

"Well there's this girl..."

Naruto had to smile at that. There couldn't be _too much_ wrong with his best friend. He was still girl crazy.

"Alright. And what about this girl?"

"Well, we fight all the time. And she's really mean to me, and I'm really mean back, and that's just how its always been. And I see her all the time and everything, I mean, we have most of our classes together, and I guess I kinda know her really well, but I always thought we hated each other..."

"Okay, so you're talking about Sakura. What about her?"

Kiba was fazed at that comment. "Wha? How'd you?"

"Kiba. Let's not kid ourselves. It's _obvious._"

He sighs. "Fine. So it's Sakura."

"Okay. So what happened between you and Sakura that's got you calling me in the middle of the night?"

"Well... we were fighting, like usual, and she started hitting and kicking, and I dodge this kick, cause it was headed straight for my nuts, and before I realized what I did I pulled her leg around me and slammed her against the wall, and then I realized how damn sexy she looked in that position, like that, so surprised and vulnerable like that and, well, I kissed her."

"Oh shit." Naruto snorts. "How hard did she punch you?"

"Uh, she, she didn't..."

"Well, what, did she_ kiss back_?"

"Sorta."

Naruto laughs.

"Naruto! I'm serious! I don't know what to do. I can't make up my mind on whether I like her or not. I mean, she makes me so _angry_ but at the same time, fighting with her is so damn_ satisfying_. I think I'm going insane!"

"Well... I say there's only one way to find out."

"And that is...?"

"Try being nice to her, and when she gives in and decides to be nice back, see if you still like her."

"Naruto... That's so crazy it just might work."

"You're welcome."

"Thanks man."

"Sure. I'm going to sleep now."

"Right. Bye."

**_*To Be Loved by Papa Roach. Amazing song. If you haven't heard it go find it and listen to it. The first time I heard it, it really made me think of Naruto himself, that's why I picked this song out of the thousands I could have chosen._**

I'll get back to the real story with the very next chapter, I promise!  
Love to all,  
-Rosalina


	5. The First Day

_**I've been at my best friend's all week, and she has this laptop that I haven't quite figured out yet. So I've been able to type all I want, but I can't copy and paste anything to a Word document (I type everything up on my e-mail and then transfer it and then post it and then delete the document, I don't really want my parents to read everything I write) So that's why I have two chapters up at the same time. Okay, here's five, and we're much closer to the real story with this. :)**_

_**Don't own anything. People much more talented than I do.**_

_**Chapter 5**_

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**_

**-The Next Day, Band Class-**

Hinata walked into the bar to get her sax. Mostly everyone else had already gotten there, which made it really hard to get across the room to her cubby. And even then, she had to push through two tuba players and a trombone guy making 'that's what she said' jokes.

She sighed and started putting the mouthpiece and reed on, and she turned to say something to the annoying tuba players, and as soon as she turned halfway around, she nearly ran into Naruto, who, unbeknownst to her, had been standing there waiting on her the whole time.

"Oh!" She says, blushing slightly. "Goodmorning love." She sets her instrument in her cubby so she can hug him.

"Good morning." He says with a grin. "Surprise ya?"

"Yeah." She admits.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

"You're fine, you're fine." She answers. Honestly, the more he was around, the better, in her opinion.

She turns back around to fix the mouthpiece to the place where she was normally in tune, and Naruto put his hands on her shoulders, sweetly, almost, almost possesively. She smiled in spite of herself.

She puts the strap _(to her sax, in case you didn't know, when you march saxophone, you usually put it on a strap around your neck. I guess so it's easier to carry? I'm not really sure why. I play the flute.)_ around her neck and turns to face him. They walk out together, it was much simpler now as mostly everyone was on their way outside.

"So I was thinking last night..." Naruto starts, "that you never really talked to me last year, except when I used to ask to copy your homework" -they both laughed- "and I was wondering, what made you suddenly see me this year?"

Hinata thought for a moment, trying to think of a way to say this in a not-weird kind of way. "I always did like you a lot. I mean, since about the beginning of last year. But I figured that, you know, you were you, and I was me, and that a guy like you would never like a girl like me, and, I don't know, you made me so nervous, that I never knew what to say to you, so I just didn't say much."

He smiles and takes her hand. "Really? I made you nervous? I always thought you were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, and you'd never fall for an idiot like me."

She blushes. "You think I'm beautiful?"

"Very."

"Thank you." She blushes even worse.

They'd gotten to the field by now, and almost everyone was in the block*. As the new couple walked past the drum majors, who were standing at the front, and were always early, they caught Tenten's eyes. She looked down at the two hands intertwined.

"When did this happen?" she asks playfully, smiling sweetly at the proudly smiling Hinata.  
"Yesterday afternoon." She answers cheerfully.

"How cute!" Tenten answers.

Hinata would have kept on smiling in that cheerful 'I'm loved' sort of way, if she hadn't looked up at her cousin and seen the glare he was giving her. She looked away quickly, almost apologetically, but not before she noticed that he was not only glaring at her, but at Naruto as well. And that, for a reason unexplained, made her angry.

They walked to the back of the block, as everyone had filled in the front already. They weren't quite the last to get there, but almost. They separated, to get into intervals, and she gave him a look like 'I need to talk to you'. He nods, getting it, and the last stragglers take spots behind and next to the two of them, and then they're called to attention.

As always, Shikamaru, a mellophone player, came walking up, late, and as always all Neji had to say was 'run', and as always, Shikamaru muttered something under his breath, and got an extra suicide* to add to the two he already had.

And as always, Neji made the entire rest of the band stand at attention until he got done.

It was kind of a daily ritual. And Shikamaru, being a junior, had done this for two and a half years now, and was a very very fast runner. In fact, he could probably beat out most of the track team if he felt like trying.

But no, it was always just this, and the band stood silently watching him run, as they always did.

Some minutes later, he joined them, panting slightly, and they were told to relax and to sit. The first thing they did every morning was stretches. And the first one was to spread your legs out in front of you and reach down to your right knee, and then your left, and then to the middle, each for ten seconds. If only Naruto knew how bad that could be.

"And down. One... two... three..."

He looked over at Hinata, to see her with her nose touching her knee. His eyes widened, and he filed that image away for later.

"Nine... Ten... And switch, one..."

'And to think I never knew... That just makes her so much hotter in my eyes.'

Hinata looked over at Naruto, who was barely even trying. She looked up at his eyes. Was he looking at her like that? Why? She blushed.

"Ten... And middle... One..."

'Damn' He thought. She had put her forehead all the way to the ground. 'How does she do that?'

At this rate, it was going to be a really long band class.

**-After Class-**

He goes to her and puts an arm around her. "So what was that look about earlier?"

"Oh, that. Well..." She lowers her voice. "I don't think Neji approves of us."

"Okay...?"

She looks at him as if to say 'Please take me seriously'

"What do you mean 'doesn't approve'?"

"I don't know. But he gave me and you the meanest glare I've ever gotten from him this morning."

"Okay. So what?"

"Well... I try to keep him happy. I try to be good enough for him. And it doesn't feel good when I do something he doesn't like. He already hates me enough."

"Hates you? But you guys are family. Aren't you supposed to just get along?"

"Oh Naruto... There's so much you don't know."

"Well tell me then. I'll call you tonight or we can talk about it on Friday or something. There's a lot I don't know. But there's a lot I want to know."

Hinata half-smiles. "Me too love." She hugs onto him. "Friday sounds good."

"Friday it is then."

_**

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*Excercise block, the first thing they do when they get there. You can stand wherever you want within the block, but you can't talk after you start stretches.**_

_***I doubt that anyone doesn't know what suicides are, but if you dont, you start at, say, one end of a football field and run to the twenty, then back to the same end, thirty, then back to the same end, forty, back to the end, then fifty back to the end. That's one. Our dear Shikamaru does three every day. No wonder he's so skinny xD**_

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I feel much better now that this is up. Thanks to everyone, everyone, that reads. You guys make me feel so awesome. ^^ I kinda need the support right now, the way the past few days have been. The best friend I've been staying with is dating my ex and apparently they're completely in love with each other, and they say it excessively, and she is always either talking to him on the phone, texting him, or talking to me ABOUT him. And apparently, they already know how many kids they're going to have together, and are busy at work picking out names. They're in HIGH SCHOOL, people, REALLY? And I don't care if she wants to take her two years of cosmetology, her bitchy attitude, and her arrogance, and fucking DROP OUT and have his babies. But don't come CRYING TO ME ABOUT IT like I know your SORRY ASS WILL when he leaves you so he can convert some other damn UGLY HALF-GOTH VULNERABLE HIGH SCHOOL GIRL to devout Christianity, and make her promises about getting married and living happily ever after that he knows DAMN WELL he's NOT GOING TO KEEP.**_

_**I am so sorry. None of you asked for that. That was completely uncalled for.**_

_**Anyway, if you're still here, I just wanna say... Sorry if I take a while to update or if the work isn't my best or if the chapters are short. I'm trying, and I don't really have an exact plan for this story yet. I can forsee enough at this poin.t for three more chapters, and then we'll see where it goes from there.  
Oh yeah, and if anyone has any ideas for where they would like to see this going, message me, review me, send me a postcard, whatever. I love hearing ideas, even itty-bitty-tiny ideas that don't seem important. I'll try my best to work your idea into the story. Think of it this way. The more people that send me ideas, the LONGER YOUR STORY GETS TO BE! How fun is that?**_

_**Much love to my readers, even more to my FANS!**_

_**--Rosalina**_


	6. The Fence

**_It's been so long... I missed you guys!! I'm also trying to type up 'Unwanted', which is... pretty good I guess. It's Sasuke and Sakura, and after Sakura gets 'over' Sasuke, Sasuke decides he loves her. (What an ass...)  
_ Anyway_, on with this story. I think I know how Kiba and Sakura turn out now... Let's just say I've found a source of inspiration on the two of them...  
Oh, and for all intensive purposes, nothing too important happened Thursday, and we're skipping to Friday.  
Don't own ANYTHING!  
Oh, for my own future-reference purposes, lemme write out her schedule. They have 6 classes, and these are Hinata's:  
1st - Band  
2nd - English 10 (H)  
3rd - Algebra 2 (H)  
4th - French 1  
5th - Geography (H)  
6th - Chemistry (H)  
Roll story...

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_**

_-_**Friday-**

Hinata sat at her desk in sixth period, the last class of the day. It was chemistry, and it was extremely hard, considering it was a junior-level class and an honors class. Yeah, she was _really_ smart. She wasn't acting like it right this moment though, considering instead of taking down the notes she was drawing a picture of her and Naruto, and thinking about how she just absolutely _could not wait_ til afterschool. She finished it and then realized she was supposed to have a whole page of notes by now. Oh well, she could always read it at home. It wasn't like Mr. H really taught them anything in the first place. It was all a bunch of notes and bookwork anyway. He gave them the last ten minutes to 'finish anything they hadn't done in class', although Hinata and everyone else knew it was for him to read that stupid book of his. There were all sorts of guesses as to what was between the brightly-colored covers. Hinata took the guess of very sappy romance novels, but she wasn't sure. She sighed and leaned back in her desk, starting a daydream about later.

_I hope he holds my hand or puts his arm around me. Especially in front of everyone... I can't wait til our first kiss! It's just gonna be magical, simply magical. Maybe we'd kiss in the pouring rain... I've always wanted to do that with someone... Or maybe it'll be one of those dark bus rides... Damn I wish tonight was an away game... What if he wants to make out with me? God, I hope I don't faint... I do have an issue with that sometimes... I hope I never faint because of him, that would totally freak him out... But... I could just imagine the way his lips would feel against mine, the way his hands would feel on my body._

Hinata shivered. God, why couldn't she quit thinking about him? And why, oh _why, _was today taking so long? Today was almost over, ten minutes... Ugh, the _longest_ ten minutes of her life.

As soon as the bell rang, she nearly shot out of her seat, and pretty much ran to her locker to put her stuff away, and to the bar to meet Naruto and their band friends.

See, every game day, they went out to eat. Not anything particularly _fancy_. Or even _healthy_ for that matter. There was a Taco Bell, an ancient burger place called 'Carter's', a Firehouse Subs, and a little place called 'The Kitchen', which served very good home-cooked meals, all within a half-mile of the school. None of the sophomores could drive yet, so every Friday, they'd either walk out the front entrance, or take a running leap through the hole in the fence behind the school, and go out to eat in one big group.

And today was a 'The Kitchen' Friday.

That meant the hole in the fence.

Which Hinata hated, but had braved many times for Naruto and at Sakura's insistance (aka, her climbing through the fence and threatening to leave Hinata all alone if she didn't follow).

So they headed out, Naruto and Hinata holding hands cutely, to the assorted 'awww's of all the usual assholes. Naruto, who was walking ahead of all of them, gave them all the finger, without even a glance behind him. Hinata giggled. "That was mean." she said, without really any force behind it, because honestly she thought it was funny.

"So?" He asked, in a 'I don't care cause I'm a badass' kind of way.

"Just saying."

When they got to the fence, most of the group, including Kiba and Sakura, bolted ahead and jumped right through the hole.

Hinata, however, had worn heels that day, which meant no traction on the muddy ground, and that if she tried to reach the gap, she would most likely fall on her face. In front of her boyfriend. And she really didn't want that to happen.

"You go ahead and go first." Naruto encouraged her. "I'll follow right behind"

It must be said that the reason behind this was mostly chivalrous, wanting to make sure she was okay instead of going through and leaving her there. Of course, being a teenage boy, he had to confess that he also, maybe... Wanted to watch her do it. I mean, come on, the girl was in skinny jeans and heels. _Orange _skinny jeans at that.

"Okay..." she said, uncertainly.

She got a running start and bent her knees, ready to spring. She jumped and...

Epically failed, twisting her ankle painfully, getting a shoe stuck in the thick mud, and snagging her black Fall Out Boy t-shirt on the sharp edges of the hole cut in the fence. She did get to the other side though.

"Damn!" she cursed.

Naruto came running "Oh my gosh! Hinata are you okay!?"

"Yeah." she said reluctantly. "It's just that this was my _favorite shirt ever._" -and I made a fool out of myself in front of you-

"Ah, I'm sorry, doll" He unsnagged the shirt from the fence. It really looked beyond repair, since it had a giant hole torn across her back. And not in a cool way. "I shoulda helped you." He hands her her shoe, through the hole. "Like lifted you up or something."

He himself jumped through the fence, landing neatly at Hinata's side. Instead of putting the shoe back on, as he expected, she just took the other off and went barefoot. "Doll?" she asked. No one had ever called her that, and it really didn't sound like something Naruto would say.

He blushed, as they started to walk and he covered up his shyness by busying himself taking his black and silver Aero jacket. "Um yeah..." He bit his lip. "Well, I was thinking about it the other night," -He wondered if that could be taken in a perverted connotation- "and... You make me think of a little doll. You look so fragile and pretty and cute. And your sweet voice. If dolls could talk, they'd sound like you."

She blushed terribly, and he wrapped her jacket around her. She put her arms through and zipped it halfway up. "Thanks." She finally managed to say.

He looked down and realized she was limping off of one foot. "Did you twist your ankle or something?" He asks, gving a 'that looks painful' look.

"Yeah but I'm fine."

"You sure? You gonna be able to march tonight?"

She practiced a few marching steps and he could see her trying not to wince every time she picked up her left foot. "Yeah, it's not that bad." She smiled weakly.

"You are truly a band kid, you know that?" He puts his arm around her.

"Yeah. Most people wouldn't miss a show unless they were about dead." She grins. "I wouldn't either."

"I know."

They're quiet for a minute, and Hinata asked him something that was on her mind.

"Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you laugh at me?"

"For..."

"Epically failing at fence-jumping."

"Cause it wasn't funny. You obviously had a hard time with it and you weren't happy, and when you're not happy, I'm not happy."

"Really?"

"Well, yeah. You're my girlfriend now, do you forget so easily the way I feel about you?"

"No, no of course not!" She assures him. "I've just... Never had that before..."

At that moment, the other sophomores from the group were calling them. "Come on guys! Quit making out and let's go!" Kiba yelled.

"Shut up Kiba! Just cause you're jealous..." Naruto yelled back as the two started to run, Hinata not without some difficulty.

"Happy now? You made my girlfriend run with a twisted ankle." He glared at Kiba.

"Oh." He turns to Hinata and apologizes. "I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"

"No, it's nothing." She assures him, "Just a little pain is all, I can handle it." She smiles, bravely.

"Alright. Well, I'm sorry to have made it worse."

"You're forgiven... Can we go eat now?"

The group laughed and they all headed down the road towads The Kitchen.

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**_That seemed really short to me, so if it really was as short as it seems, I'm sorry. The next chapter is already being written, for now I know Hinata's deep dark secret... It's just the question of how, and why, and when she will tell Naruto. This gives a cause for basically everything. Neji, the shyness, the hate, everything. I'm really glad I figured it out..._**

Well, guess you'll find out sooner or later. :)

--Lina


	7. Secrets

_**Not to make excuses, but my computer's had this terrible thing called TrojanVundo or something like that, and it won't go away and it's really freaking me out...**_

_**So... I want to thank everyone who read, reviewed, favorited etc... You guys are great, and you make me feel like I'm actually a good writer. :)**_

_**(Yes I have inferiority-complex-issues. You know, 'I've got troubled thoughts and the self esteem to match', the Fall Out Boy lyric, is where my name comes from, in case anyone didn't know. Salvador says I need to work on my self-esteem. I say that he's crazy, but truly I hope that what he meant was 'you're not as bad as you think, and I like you a lot', but I think thats kind of a stretch...)**_

_**Anyway, enough of my babbling, let me give you what you came for... (that's what she said!)**_

_**By the way, I meant the story. Let me give you the next chapter of the story.**_

_**Sorry it's kinda short (Speaking of which, that's what HE said xD) but I didn't want to give it away (Okay, come on now. This has gotta stop)**_

**Chapter Start**

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Hinata wasn't really hungry. And she didn't really want to be around all these people. Sitting in the restraunt, with food in front of her, she realized this, along with the fact that she couldn't quit thinking about what she wanted to tell Naruto. She'd never told anyone and she really wasn't sure she wanted to tell Naruto. What if he didn't like her after he found out?

She just wanted to be alone with him. But she was way too shy to come right out and ask. And she was a little bit embarassed when he noticed that she was acting different.

"Hinata, you wanna head back early? There's something I forgot to bring with me that I really wanna show you..."

"Yeah, sure Naruto." Him noticing actually made her feel kind of special, really, and she was happy he managed to be so nonchalant about it. It was a little bit unusual of him to actually be tactful about things.

He went to the counter and paid for his meal and her half-eaten one, before she even realized he had paid both. When she did, she hit him softly, blushing. "What did you d-do that for?" She demanded.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that's what the guy's supposed to do for the girl he likes."

She proceeded to blush worse and grab his hand as they walked out the door.

"So what was wrong in there?" He asks.

"I don't know, I-I just... I wanna be alone with you."

He smirked, taking it the wrong way, as a band kid would.

She hit him. "N-n-not like _that_!" She paused, then muttered "Probably..."

"Really now?" He asked and looked over at her.

"Shut up..." She blushed so badly that she started inwardly praying she didn't faint.

"Hey, come on, I'm just teasin'. And, for all it's worth, I wanna be alone with you too." He was slightly blushing, but looking straight at her with all honesty.

"Oh, Naruto..." she said, secretly loving the attention. "I'll never understand you."

He put an arm around her waist and pulled her close. They were still walking, and being two band kids, they were in step and coordinated enough to not have to worry about stepping on each other's feet.

"I'll never understand you either." He whispered in her ear, giving her chills.

"It's n-not that hard, really."

He just laughed.

"Anyway, I want to be alone with you so I can tell you everything."

"Good, 'cause I want to know everything. All of it."

At this point, they came to the fence and he helped her over it.

"So, where are we going?" Hinata asked.

"The outside stairs." He answered, referring to a set of third-story steps outside the arts building. "So if we lose track of time we don't have to run across campus."

"You're smarter than you let on."

"I know."

They made their way there, and it really was pretty much the perfect spot. Nobody could see or hear them, but they could see anyone that was coming.

They sat back on one of the top steps.

"So talk to me." He said.

"Well, I've never really t-told anyone this, but there's a reason for me and Neji being the way we are."

"Okay..." Naruto thought she looked sad and so he held her.

"Well, something happened my, my, my eighth grade year..." She paused, like she was trying to think of how to say it. She looked up at him.

"It's all right, you can tell me. You can trust me."

"I-I know. I just... Well, he's the only one who knows, N-neji is. And it's k-kind of a big deal... I really don't wanna t-talk about it cause its, it's something I regret..." She fiddled with her long purple hair like she did when she was stressed or nervous.

"It's okay, it's totally okay. I'm not forcing you, Hinata."

"Well, I want you to know, I was... Well, I..."

"What is it?" He could tell she was getting stressed out, and he just wanted her to be okay.

"I was so stupid, and I d-didn't know, and shouldn't have... But I did... I can't..."

"It's okay, it's okay. I promise, whatever it is, it doesn't matter. I'll make it better however I can. And if you don't want to tell me, you don't have to."

"You- you... Have a right to know, I just... I just..." She couldn't breathe, and she put her head down on him, trying to get herself back. This was her secret... Last time she trusted someone, well, the last person she trusted was Sasuke, and then that had happened, and what if something else bad happened when she tried to trust someone else? But, she hadn't loved Sasuke. She loved Naruto. Loved him.

He held her tight, and for the first time ever, she felt safe, wanted.

Naruto was really worried about her now, and could feel her small being shaking heavily. He held onto her, not knowing how else to help. He told her over and over again that it was alright, that it would be okay, though he didn't know what it was that haunted her so badly or even if it really would be okay.

Her breath came back, shakily, like sobbing. After a minute, she looked up at him, black mascara straked down her face and more tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, I, I never do this." She wiped her eye, trying hard to quit crying. Crying didn't accomplish anything, and was for weaklings. And if she had learned anything from her father, it was to never be weak, to always be strong, no matter what, no matter who was watching, or what anyone said or did to you. There was no room in the world for someone with weaknesses. "Crying is so weak, so useless."

She was so angry at herself.

"That's not true." Naruto reassured her, and brushed more tears away. "You're not weak. And crying isn't useless. It makes you feel better. Sometimes you have to let go. Sometimes you won't feel better til you do."

She gasped pitifully for breath. "Thank you, Naruto."

He couldn't put a finger on why she was thanking him, but he knew it was for something that she should just take for granted, like him being there for her.

"You are always welcome."

She leaned on him again. "Will you just hold me?"

"Of course."

She cried on him for a solid half hour, her head buried in his chest, her sobs echoing in his ears. Through her sorrow, he held onto her just like she wanted, and he would rub her back or the top of her head. But mostly, he just let her cry. He knew she needed it. She said not a word, and he didn't make her, and when she finally picked her head up to look at him, she smiled.

"You're right. I feel better now."

He smiled back. "Good to know. And whatever this secret is, you don't have to tell me until you're ready. If that's a month from now, six months from now, a year from now, I don't care. It's okay."

"Will you still like me?"

"Yes."

"Even if it's really bad?"

"Even if you're a murderer." Naruto could swear she looked scared at that comment. "Hey, I'm kidding. You would never do that. That's totally crazy. I'm just trying to prove my point."

"I know, I know." she answered, then after a moment, she asked, "Naruto?"

"Yes my love?"

"Thank you."

He couldn't help but ask, "For what?"

"Being you. Not judging me. Seeing the good in me... Um, everything."

He laughed. She just looked so serious. "How could I not see the good in you, what else is there? And I could never be anyone else, or judge anyone. That has to do with my own secrets."

She looked up at him. She was curious, but wouldn't force him, just as he hadn't forced her.

"I don't mind telling you. You should know."

"Okay. I'll listen. Tell me as much as you want."

"Well... I don't tell a lot of people this. Really, my parents and Kiba are the only ones that know. And, well, you now... but... I'm... Well, let me start here. I was three when my mom died."

She looked at him like 'what?'. She knew Mrs. Uzumaki quite well, and saw her at nearly every football game.

"My real mom. And I barely remember anything about her. I've tried so hard to remember as much as I can, but... it's so difficult..."

After 'my real mom', it dawned on Hinata that he was obviously adopted. Now it made much more sense that he didn't look like either of his parents.

"And then, my dad, I just remember what he said to me the day he left me. He said he loved me, and that he was sorry it had to be like this and that I'd never see him again. He said it wasn't my fault, it wasn't anyone's fault. He said not to miss him, cause he wanted me to be happy. That's all he wanted was for me to be happy. Then he said he loved me one more time, and then I never saw him again."

Hinata gasped. "Naruto! That's terrible." She hugged him.

"I know..." He said.

The story wasn't what bothered Hinata. What bothered Hinata was the way he told it so flatly, so detatched from the whole thing as if he was reading it all out of a book.

"What really killed me was the foster home. That was the worst part. The older boys were..." He shook his head and took a breath. "Anyway, I was only there a year, and I tried not to let them get to me, and I was so thankful when I finally got adopted. My new parents were so much nicer than my foster parents, and I was an only child again. I mean, I love them and all, I really do, but... Not a day goes by that I don't wonder about my real parents... About what it would have been like, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. Of course, I never really knew my mom. It doesn't bother me though. Never has. I guess its a lot easier not to miss someone you never knew." She shrugged.

"I guess. But, I try not to let it get to me when I'm around everyone else. That's why I act the way I do... But, for the first two or three years, I was... I was a terrible little kid. Well, not terrible. Depressed maybe. I cried a lot, til I figured out that I just wanted to feel better and that wasn't really working. So, I got this... I don't know, this smile. This shell. And I didn't let anyone past it. And the older I got, the tougher I got. I learned to laugh when I wanted to cry. I learned to act like there was nothing wrong. And I did feel better. I mean, yeah, life sucks sometimes, but if you try real hard to believe it doesn't, you don't feel quite so bad. And eventually, I guess it became part of me, the happy. I was just a happy person. I never lost what I went through though. I would never be like the foster kids that I hated so much. I couldn't lose what made me not like them. I could never bring myself to not care.I'd never do to anyone what they did to me."

"Naruto... I never knew..."

"Nobody did. They all just thought I was the hyperactive idiot. And that was fine with me, cause I wasn't the weird little foster kid that didn't fit in."

"You're beautiful." Hinata said, taking Naruto by surprise.

"What?"

"You're beautiful. Inside. Your heart is beautiful. Your soul is beautiful. The light inside you is beautiful."

"Thanks?"

"No, I mean it. There's lots of people that couldn't do what you've done. Lots of people that could never be as strong as you. And for that, you're just all the more special to me."

He nodded. "Thank you. Never heard that before."

"You deserve to."

"Hinata?"

"Yeah?"

"We should probably go get ready. Like five minutes ago."

She looks up at the gloomy school clock.

"Oh crap! We should!"

They take off running down the steps.

_**

* * *

  
Ah the angst! Ah the drama! Ah the suspense! Will she ever admit her darkest secret to her love?**_

**_-Find out next time!-  
_  
_Oh, and don't forget now, the more people write to me with ideas, the longer your story is. It works both ways. If you take the time to think things up for me, I'll take the time to think things up for you. Message me, review me, whatevs. I love new ideas. No lie. I really like other people's ideas, more than anyone probably really should. :)  
_**

_**Oh, and if anyone thinks they know Hinata's secret, at any point in the story, message me and I'll tell you if you're right. If you absolutely can't, then keep it to yourself, just please don't write it in a review for the world to see :) Thank you.**_

Less Than Three...  
--Lina


	8. Was It Something I Said?

**_By the way, the marching show is music from Carmen. Yes it's an opera, but it actually makes for pretty great show music. If I already mentioned this somewhere, I'm sorry. I remember things about as well as a goldfish. I don't mean the actual fish. I mean the crackers. Yeah, it's that bad. I'm surprised I've never walked out of the house and then realized I forgot to put on pants. I'm also _happy_ I've never done that, because all my neighbors would be disturbed for life by the sight of me in my cute little orange and black undies. And I live next to a bunch of old people. -^^-*  
Anyway, the whole 'Carmen' thing is why, later, Neji is dressed up as a toreador. ^^' I think he'd look rather hot that way, actually. Am I allowed to say that? I mean, he is sort of the unofficial villain giving this story a little of its conflict. The villain is not supposed to be a hot senior guy dressed up like a damn bullfighter! ...Oh well, cause thats just the way it is.... That makes me think of how hot Salvador would look dressed up as a bullfighter. Hm...  
Let's start the story now, so you guys don't have to hear my odd fantasies. X-)_**

* * *

Once they got to the bar, everything felt normal again. Hinata didn't look like she'd been crying anymore, and Naruto had his guard back up, ready for just about anything.

When they walked in, there were woodwind players trying rather unsuccessfully to tune, people carrying uniform bags, guys walking around in their boxers, tuba players having some sort of ridiculous race involving putting people in tuba cases, third trumpets trying to bum white knee-hi socks or gloves off of people because they'd forgot to bring theirs, first trumpets showing off their high notes, colorguard girls doing hair and makeup, and at least three couples kissing.

So it wasn't surprising that no one really noticed their arrival.

Well, except Sakura. She was in half-uniform* and apparently very angry. What else was new?

"Where the hell did you go?"

"Um, to talk to Naruto?" She guessed, hoping that was the 'right' answer.

"And you just _left me there?_"

"Yes?" She flinched.

"Come here." She pulled her by her sleeve (Technically, Naruto's sleeve, as she was still wearing his jacket) so she could talk to her alone.

"_He_ is being _so weird."_

"Who?"

"Think about it Hinata."

"Kiba?"

"_Duh_. I think he likes me."

"I think he does too. Its obvious." Hinata said with a shrug.

"No its not!"

"Yeah, it kinda--"

"Shut up no its not!"

"Sakura? Are you _defending_ him?"

"No!" She rolled her eyes as if it were the most ridiculous thing in the world.

"Just checkin'." Hinata said sarcastically.

"Hinata you're not helping."

"Well what am I supposed to do? _I'm_ not Kiba. I'm not even close to Kiba."

"You're not close to him... but Naruto is."

Hinata sighed. She knew exactly what her pink-haired friend was planning. "Really Sakura?"

"Yes. I don't see anything wrong with a few inconspicuous questions, nonchalantly asked..."

"Why can't you just ask him yourself?"

"Because I don't know whether I like him or not."

"You are the most complicated--"

"Shut up! He's coming over here!" The last sentence was said through her teeth, and was barely understandable.

Hinata rolled her eyes and walked off. She was acting so childish right now.

"Sakura! I got you these. I figured you'd want some new ones since that dumb clainet player stole your and cut holes in the fingers." He hands her a pair of new white marching gloves.

"Thanks." She said nervously. "I was just gonna steal them back but... Thanks." She took them from him and examined them. "Nothing weird right? No ink that's gonna dye my fingers when I put them on, or something disgusting hiding inside?"

"Not at all. I just bought em, they're brand new. All I did was take em out of the package and bring them to you."

She put them on slowly, cautiously, and found there to be nothing wrong with them.

"See? What did I tell you? Trust me."

"That'll be the day." She answered sarcastically.

"What did I ever do?"

"Oh nothing..." she turned away, pretending to organize something in her cubby.

"Okay, then will you get over your little hissy fit long enough to do me?" He asks. Her heart skipped a beat and she turned to look at him

He had caught her off guard, just like he'd wanted to. He stood there, holding his uniform jacket innocently.

"Oh, right.... Yeah."

He put it on.

"What did you think I meant? That I would actually consider doing _anything_ sexual with a girl like you?"

She zipped it up, promptly slapped him in the back of the head, and walked away, leaving Kiba standing there rubbing the back of his head and damning his own nature. How hard could it possibly be to just be nice to a girl? Especially a girl he liked so much. Even if she was bitchy sometimes. Maybe he did stuff like that just to annoy her. She looked so hot mad! But if he wanted this to work, he'd have to cancel out his first instincts and think about what he was doing before he did it.

God, when did he get so mean?

And when did he become a liar? Cause it was completely a lie that he didn't want to do anything with her.

He sighed and put his head down.

Well, _tried_ to put his head down. What he hadn't noticed was that Sakura had tangled his hair into the zipper, and now it was stuck.

"Damn it..." He cursed under his breath, and went to search for a girl that could get his hair untangled without pulling it all out.

_**While this was happening... With Naruto**_

Hinata had walked away from Naruto. Well, rather been pulled away... Either way, he was standing there alone.

And what perfect timing for Neji to spot him. How wonderful. The drum major, in all his drum-major-toreador-outfitted-glory came stalking (Yes, _stalking_) toward Naruto.

"Hey Neji are you--"

"No, I'm not okay." Neji growled as he pulled Naruto by his shirt collar into the back hallway. As in the one nobody would be in right now. As in the dark, empty one where nobody could see Neji beat up Naruto.

He slammed him against the wall and got in his face.

"Listen to me. I don't want you alone with her. And if I ever catch you two alone together, I'll mess you up so bad she won't even recognize you. You're lucky I'm letting you two be together at all." He snarled.

Naruto didn't dare protest.

"You hear me, you little bitch?"

Naruto nodded fervently.

"Now you better think about it long and hard about whether you wanna screw with me or not. You better get it through that thick fucking skull of yours that I _will_ hurt you. I'm not afraid of your little act, cause inside, you're _nothing."_

He let go and Naruto slumped to the floor.

"Oh, and if Hinata _somehow_ happens to _find out_ about this little conversation, you are dead meat, _Uzumaki_." He spit out the name like something rotten.

Naruto watched him walk back in.

He sat there for a second, trying to realize everything that had just happened, before getting up, fixing his crumpled-up shirt, and walking back in himself.

A few low brass guys eyed him suspiciously, considering he was coming in alone from a dark empty hallway, but other than that, he drew nobody else's attention. At least until he got to Hinata.

"... Are you okay?"

Naruto nodded.

"Are you sure cause you look kinda pale."

"Ah, one of the dumbass tubas hid my trumpet, and I thought I lost it. Scared me." He lied, hoping to God that just once, someone would believe his lying. This was _important._

"Ugh, those morons. Didn't touch you, did they?"

"Nah, it was probably just some stupid dare or something." He rolled his eyes, hopefully convincingly enough.

"Well, anyway, so Sakura wanted me to ask you to ask Kiba about her."

"What _about_ her?"

She gave him a look like '_really?_', to which he gave her an innocent, clueless '_whaaat?'_

"If he likes her... Thinks she's cute... Wants to date her?"

"Oh, that stuff. Yes, more than yes, and probably."

"...Whaaat?"

"Yes he likes her, he thinks she's... Sexy or something," He made a face at that one, "And he probably wants to date her."

"Can I tell her _any_ of that?"

"Let me ask him first. But I'll do that later. Wanna come get dressed with me?"

_I'd rather get undressed..._ She mentally smacked herself for thinking that as they walked out of the room.

He looks over at her, trying unsuccessfully to bite back a smile.

"What?" Hinata asks defensively, blushing at the huge suggestive grin on his face.

"Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?" He asked.

"No!" She squeaked. "I mean, um, what do you think I'm thinking?"

He leans down so his lips were touching her ear. "That you'd rather get _un_dressed."

For a tiny millionth of a second she let her mind spiral off into fantasies, before she turned and smacked him in the chest. "Naruto you pervert!!"

"Kidding! I was kidding! Jesus!"

Hinata giggled. "I know."

"Well you sure did hit hard for knowing I was kidding. Jeez." He says making his (downright _adorable_) pouty face.

"I'm sorry." She said seriously and honestly, before looking over at him and adding "You know you liked it!"

"I know I did too." He says in the sarcastic/fake sexy kind of way and licked his lips in the same manner.

"You're such a nerd."

"I know." He said as he handed her her uniform, got his, and stripped to his boxers.

Hinata nearly fainted. She tried not to stare, she really did but _Oh. My. God._ _The_ nicest abs in the whole world, not to mention his chest and... Oh, God his legs. She was sure she forgot how to breathe. He had _the_ best legs ever. _Ever._ That was it. She could never love another man. And his whole body was so tan, it was crazy. Like, skin cancer crazy. Like that should not come natural to anyone cause that is downright not fair crazy.

"Hinata?"

"Mmhmm?"

"You're... Staring. And I feel awkward."

"I am soo sorry, I should... I should go." She managed to squeak out before taking her uniform bag and running out of the room.

"Hinata!?" Naruto called, running after her as he pulled his red KHS band shirt over his head.

_'Was it something I said?'_

_**With Neji**_

"Neji does my ha-" Tenten started to ask, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. And you look fine." He answered her, darting his eyes away. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't lie to her. Especially about all this 'feeling' stuff.

Of course, he thought she looked more than fine, with her hair down (It was always pulled up in some fashion except when she was dressed up), and in her floor-length red and black dress, all ruffly at the bottom like a Spanish dancer.

"Forget about me, what happened?"

"Nothing Tenten."

"Doesn't look like nothing. There's resentment you're trying your best to bury away, but your eyes give you away everytime. Other than that, you're very calm and quiet. Scary quiet. Fake calm. Don't act like I don't know you Neji."

He sighed. Damn her psychology teacher. Damn her overobservant nature. Damn whatever it was that made it not his fault.

"Tenten, it doesn't concern you." He said, slightly irked.

"You're mad at me!" She pouted.

Neji sighed. Why did she always jump to the conclusion that it was her fault?

"No, I'm not. I promise, it's not you."

"Then why did you call me Tenten? You never call me by my name."

"Sorry."

"Dammit don't apologize!"

"What do you want me to do!? I'm worried about my cousin, okay? Is that alright with you? Do I have your permission, Tay?" He had worked up into a yell.

The bar went silent, everyone listening, trying to figure out what was going on.

Her eyes glistened. "Yes." She choked out. If there was one thing Tenten couldn't stand, it was getting yelled at. It made her cry every time.

"I have to... Go fix my makeup..." She slipped past him, grabbed her purse, and ran out of the bar, not quite making it before the tears started.

Neji watched her disappear, sullenly. He slumped back against the wall and sat there, his head in his hands, wondering why things had to be the way they were, wondering why he'd hurt one of the closest people to him, wondering why it hurt so badly to see her cry, wondering why he had to take the responsibility and the pressure of what his cousin had done so long ago, wondering how he'd ended up being someone he'd never wanted to be.

_**With Tay (Tenten)**_

Tenten ran dejectedly into the empty girls' locker room, trying so hard to keep herself from crying. It wasn't even that big of a deal. God, she was so weak. She was drum major, for God's sake, she couldn't run around crying like a little girl all the time. What kind of representation was that?

She sat down on an old wooden bench.

And Neji had said he wasn't even mad at her. But, he must have been mad at her. He was yelling at her. She hadn't tried to piss him off, he was just so... emotional sometimes. Unpredictable. But it seemed like she was always doing the wrong thing. She just wanted to make everything better. She wanted him to be happy, and know she was there for him. But it seemed like everytime she tried to tell him she understood, he got all defensive. Maybe he didn't want to be understood.

She heard the heavy locker room door open and shut with a noisy squeak, and quickly wiped the mascara-colored tears from her face. She turned around, though to see that it was only a very angry-looking Sakura, coming in to wash the makeup off her face. (You can't wear makeup in uniform unless it's part of your uniform, i.e. colorguard). Tenten was relieved, as she was pretty close to Sakura.

"Tay?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you... crying?"

"Yeah but... I'm alright."

"Was it you that Neji was fighting with?" Sakura asked, even though she, as everyone else, knew that she was.

"We weren't really fighting, just... he was... We were talking, and I said the wrong thing. It's no big deal, I'm just..." She laughed, "Hormonal or something."

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I just..." She sighed and got up to go look in the mirror, looking at Sakura like 'follow me'.

She got a paper towel and started scrubbing the black off her face.

"Can you keep a secret?"

Now, regardless of whether Tenten and Sakura were good friends or not, Sakura could not keep a secret. Call it a gift or a fatal flaw, but Sakura was always on the avant-guard of gossip. Hearing it and shamelessly spreading it. So when the pink-haired saxophonist answered with a reassuring "Yes.", it wasn't exactly the truth.

"Well, I... I know it's really not good for me, and I really shouldn't because, well, I'm me and he's him, but... Well... I kinda have a huge crush on Neji."

"Really?"

"Yeah." She smiled, happy to get the secret off her chest, even if only to Sakura.

"You just don't seem like--"

"I know, his type."

"Sort of, I mean, he's so..."

"Serious? Yeah. I see pieces of him that no one else gets to see though."

"Well that makes sense."

"What about you Sakura?"

"What about me?"

"You know, boys?"

"Well... It's complicated. See, there's this boy, and sometimes he acts like he hates me, but sometimes he acts like he likes me, and I don't know what to do..."

**_With Kiba  
_**The trumpet player laughed nervously. "It's not gonna hurt is it?"

"Of course not, darling, just hold still. I'll be reeeal gentle. Wouldn't wanna hurt your pretty little head." Ino answered, smiling hugely with her bright pink glittery lipstick lips, her voice obnoxiously sweet.

"Thanks." Kiba replied, kind of wishing he would have asked a different girl, like maybe Tenten or Temari or even -he shuddered slightly- Tayuya.

"Just sit... Right there, cause you're taller than me." She giggled cutely, playing with the short skirt of her colorguard uniform. She was the lead girl this year, meaning she had a solo and a sickeningly pink uniform that was more revealing -and frillier- than the rest.

"Sure." Kiba said and sat down reluctantly, facing the bar door. Ino bent over in a whore-like fashion, showing off her matching sickeningly pink underwear to all the horny band boys that cared to peek.

She slowly unzipped Kiba's jacket down the back, and Kiba had to admit, she really didn't hurt him much at all. However, she was standing ridiculously close, as in he could feel her warm breath on the back of his neck.

Which was not a great thing, considering Kiba's neck was very, very sensitive. As in, when a girl kissed his neck or blew on his neck, it tended to make him pretty horny. Mentally so, anyway.

And so he sat there with his eyes shut, trying desperately to keep still and not squirm or say anything stupid, as Kiba was, admittedly, a teenage boy, and teenage boys aren't really the best at controlling such things as emotions.

And at that exact moment, with Ino all made up, bent over behind Kiba, her hands busy in his hair and her face almost on his neck, in walked Tay and Sakura.

_**With Sakura**_

She couldn't believe it! He was with that whore Ino! Since when was she allowed to have him!? There she was, playing with his hair and kissing his neck! Right in the middle of the bar! What the hell!? Kiba was hers! Not Ino's! Oh, he would pay for this later...

At that point, Mr. Densetsu, the band director walked in with a cry of:

"Two minutes kids! Be ready! Instruments! Flip folders! Full uniform! Meet in the band room!"

Sakura had no choice but to grab her sax and go, vowing eventual revenge.

* * *

**_*No, she's not half naked. There are two parts to a marching uniform (well, clothing-wise). The first looks like a set of cloth overalls that zip up the front (sexy right?) and the second is the jacket that goes over it and zips up the back. Halfs is if you're just wearing the overalls part over a t-shirt. By the way, these are the most uncomfortable things ever if A.) You decide at some point to sit down or B.) you have boobs bigger than an A-cup. Oh boy. Oh and, you can't zip up your own jacket. I mean, physically, if you really wanted to or had very long arms, you could. But, it's a lot more fun to make someone else do it, cause then they get to 'do you'. xD Not lying, that's what we call it, and I found it very funny my freshman year, ("Well myyyyy freshman year.... xDxDxD I love you Salvador!) so guess what? I'm putting it in the story ;D Love me or hate me. *shrugs* hope ya love me.  
For the record, I have absolutely nothing against clarinet players, or colorguard girls. 90% of them are perfectly tolerable, so please don't take offense at the way I portray Ino.  
And... Densetsu means 'legend' or 'legendary' in Japanese. Any guesses at who I deemed their band director? Well, I'll tell you. Who to better play the part than the legendary Jiraya himself? xD So I gave him a last name because I searched the web and didn't find one for him, so I made one up. Seemed fitting.  
So... I've gotten a little off track. I realized I was gonna have to add a lot of backstory to keep this up, cause as much as I love Hinata and Naruto, I found I couldn't just write about them. It was too... Cheerful, it lacked conflict, drama. Well, they have their own conflicts, don't get me wrong but... More is better. And it maaaayyyy be a while before anything's really 'resolved'. *bites lip* Sorrrriiiiieeee!! _  
Longest. Chapter. Ever. 2. A. M. If anything doesn't make sense, I IMPLORE YOU! TELL ME! I tried to remember everything and check everything 3-4 times, but I'm only human. (God, I wish a was a werewolf!... Or a Midnighter.)_**

**_--Lina_**


	9. The Game

**_I'm loving life right now. :)  
Anyone else seen 'Avatar' yet? It's effing _amazing!****_ Seriously, its epic. Totally epic.  
Anyway, I am just _so excited_ about writing this story right now! ...Probably cause I miss my band friends!! So I want you to know I started writing this chapter the day after I put the last chapter up. Yeah, I'm either that awesome or that much of a nerd, depending on how you want to look at it. :D_**

All hundred and thirty students met in the band room, in arcs, crowded around Mr.D. None of them dared talk, cause this was _serious_ time. Time to put the game faces on and go.

Everyone was in full uniform, including shakos (yes, the little marching hats, that's what they're called), and when everyone got situated in their spots, all was silent. The officers stood in the front of the room, ready to make their speeches. It was a tradition that before every game, both drum majors, brass, woodwind, colorguard, and percussion captains, the historian, the chaplain, and Mr.D all said a little something to the rest of the band.

Neji, being Neji, was, of course, first.

He stepped quietly onto the director's podium, cleared his throat and started to speak.

"I know I push you guys pretty hard. But the reason I do it is so you'll be ready. And, you guys, we just got our last piece of drill on the field Wednesday. I just want you to know that I'm very proud of all of you, and I truly believe you're going to do great tonight. Just keep in mind all your basics. Keep your toes up, stay in tune, take all the counts to get to your set, that kind of thing. If you guys focus like I know you can, you're gonna be awesome tonight." He smiled hopefully and stepped down to gloved applause.

Next was Tenten.

"So the whole show's on the field." She remarked, huge grin on her face.

That was recieved with cheers and whoops from her bandmates.

"And we're takin on the Pirates tonight, so get ready for the Hey Song about 50 times, cause if this year goes like last year..." She laughed, and her band laughed with her, thinking of the epic win. As in 58-3. Obviously, the KHS Ninjas* won. The other school's band was super friendly though, and every year they had a good time together during 3rd quarter.

"Anyway, tonight's gonna be a great night, so don't stress too much. Focus. Focus is important, but I want you guys to have fun too. I love you guys, so go out there and rock it tonight!"

The band applauded for her and someone shouted "Yeah baby!!" as she got down and the brass captain took her place.

What Tenten didn't know was that Neji had been watching her affectionately, happy that she seemed to have cheered up, hoping it was real happy and not fake.

What Neji didn't know was that Sakura was carefully watching him, and saw that look in his eyes. And knew exactly what it meant.

What Sakura didn't know was that at this moment, Kiba was watching her nervously from the opposite side of the arc, wondering if she was still mad at him for saying what he said.

What Kiba didn't know was that she had seen him and Ino and was now extremely jealous and vengeful, as only she could be. And he was gonna get it.

The brass captain finished his speech and stepped down, letting Tayuya, who was woodwind captain and the only senior flute player, step up.

"Ah, an easy takedown." She commented, her smile somehow implying that she took this way too seriously. "I love being on the winning side. So let's show em what we got. Let's knock 'em dead." She ended with a creepy grin, and her captive audience applauding mainly out of fear.

Next was Ino, who was colorguard captain. Sakura gave her a death glare as she stepped up, and Kiba looked over at Sakura. 'Oh shit...'

"Well, I just wanna say... That I love all of you!"

-Well... that was obvious- Sakura thought. -whore-

"And I'm proud of all my girls over here, cause we work real hard, and they are _sooo_ amazing! I would not be here without them, cause they are my best friends in the world, and I wanna thank the band for finally getting everything on the field, cause you guys are so good! Especially the trumpet players, cause you sound really great." She commented, looking right at Kiba.

Kiba fake-smiled back, wishing she would just leave him alone. When she looked away, Naruto elbowed Kiba and shot him a 'what the hell?' look. Kiba gave him a 'not my fault' look.

"And I just wanna say that tonight is gonna be a good night," Again directed right at Kiba, "And we're gonna have a great performance."

She stepped down, leaving Sakura furious. 'A _good night_? What the _hell?_ How did _nobody_ else catch that?'

There were a few more speeches, and then a prayer, before they headed outside.

They got back in arcs outside and warmed up, much uneventfully, and headed out to the field for pregame.

Now, pregame was basically just a neverending source of stress that had to be suffered through every week.

Why? Because the football team loved torturing them. Because every week, the team absolutely had to have a different song played as they came out, to the obnoxiously loud, frenzied cheering of the crowd. Because every week, they either took so long to come charging out that everyone's mouth got tired from trying to play so long and so loud, or didn't even give them enough time to get all the way through the song they had spent all week trying to learn for the ingrateful assholes.

And, because every once in a while, they happened to 'accidentally bump into someone', which really meant some football player (usually the starring quarterback Sasuke or one of his dumbass friends) would, right out of the sight of the crowd and the coach, slam one of the band kids in the back of the head with whatever was handy, i.e. fist, elbow, helmet, etc.

And the worst part was, there was nothing anything could do about it, because there was never any real proof. So they just had to put up with it and go on like nothing happened. Which was especially hard for brass players, because if someone hits you in the back of the head while you have a mouthpiece to your mouth, it hurts the hell out of your lips and your teeth.

So, tonight, as always, there was a thick feeling between anger and dread as they marched in a disciplined manner to pregame set.

They ran through a talented rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner and the KHS Alma Mater, then got in a tunnel for the players to come through, and started playing the latest song to get the precious football players 'pumped', which tonight happened to be an arrangement of 'Run This Town'.

Tonight, as the football players ran through, there was no violence. Only a few select guys got called 'fagboy' and 'cocksucker'. Why? We're not sure.

In any case, everyone got off unharmed, and walked off the field gratefully, getting to the stands and sitting back, slightly tense, as it always was at the beginning of the game.

Hinata watched, patiently unattatched. She'd never gotten majorly into football, but she knew enough from performing to know what was going on.

Naruto and Kiba, on the other hand, who were sitting on the row above Hinata and Sakura, were normally incredibly into it and would cheer everytime something good happened, which tended to annoy Sakura, who'd rather just sit and chat with the hilariously perverted clarinet players, without that damn noise to put up with.

But everyone was oddly quiet today. Something had happened. Something had been broken, inside.

There was no obnoxious cheering and hollering from Naruto. He was too busy wondering why Hinata had run from him, and, more importantly, if she was mad at him. Nor was there any from Kiba, who was focused on Sakura, trying to read any signs of hope for him. Sakura wasn't talking to the clarinet players, preferring to sit and rant to Hinata, too quietly for the boys or anyone else to hear.

"He doesn't like me. He doesn't like me cause he'd rather have that whore Ino. I just hope that he knows that I'm not going to chase after someone who doesn't give a damn about me. I'm not stupid. He should know that. He would if he cared."

Hinata hugged her friend. "I'm sure he knows that Sakura. Maybe he's the same. After all, you haven't exactly been, you know, sweet to him or anything. Maybe he just took it that you didn't like him and he didn't wanna get hurt."

Sakura just looks at her for a minute, before saying, appreciatively, "You are so smart."

"Um, thanks?"

"Of course. I know what I have to do now..."

A row above them, Kiba admitted to Naruto, "Girls are complicated."

To which Naruto laughed and gave him a "Tell me about it. I really need to talk to Hinata, but I don't wanna do it in front of everyone, you know?"

"Same here. But, you know..."

"Yeah. Sakura."

"Yeah. She's really pissed at me. All I did was say I didn't wanna get sexual with her, and she hasn't talked to me since. I feel really guilty..."

"I'd say go apologize but... knowing her, you might want to wait a few days..."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

As if the rest of the world was out to show that it was suffering too, the Pirates scored and the other band burst into an average rendition of their fight song.

Naruto sighed. 'Oh third quarter... How I long for you...'

**-Halftime-**

"And as we go to halftime, the score is 39-21, the Pirates are dominating the Ninjas on their own field. If CCHS wins this one, it will be the first time in six years they've beat KHS! Will they get their revenge? Or will the Ninjas pull out some secret weapon and come back for the win? We'll find out folks! But first, here performing for your halftime entertainment, Konoha High's own award-winning marching band!"

The crowd cheered, reassuring the nervous band kids as they stood in opening set.

Somehow, as many times as Hinata had done this, as many times as they ran this show on a daily basis, as many times as she had looked up at this crowd, she always got nervous before a show. Especially here in opening set, right on the fifty, behind that short little freshie clarinet, who was behind Tayuya, who was on the front sideline.

Hinata took a deep breath trying to move as little as she could. She didn't want a repeat of her very first performance. Ugh, she'd rather not think of that. Nothing could ever be as bad as that. Still, the bright stadium lights shone down on her, nearly blinding. The voices and noise seemed to fade as she focused on Neji silently counting off. As always, she tried to remember her first move, her first notes, but the thoughts evaded her. That always made her incredibly nervous, and she always stressed about it in those long seconds between getting set and taking the first rolled-heel step.

Somehow though, the knowing always flooded into her as soon as she went to take a step. It was like her body knew what to do so her mind didn't have to. Though she'd rather both of them know.

By the time they finished the first of their three pieces, she'd calmed down considerably, and felt a lot better. The whole crowd was cheering, Tenten was grinning hugely, and the other band was clapping for them from the sidelines.

This was the feeling that made all the sweat and tears on the hot relentless pavement worthwhile.

That's what Hinata was thinking as she backwards marched at a seemingly impossibly slow tempo, her calves starting to burn from having to stay balanced on her toes. Still, she smiled as she brought her sax up to her mouth, then started to play.

To say that Naruto never got nervous would be a lie.

To say that he was nervous about performing though, was thouroughly ridiculous. He had trouble understanding how anyone could feel nervous, doing a marching show with so many other people. Especially just halftime. Most people sitting in the stands didn't know the difference between a roll step and a high step, much less the difference between a bell tone and a long tone. No stress there.

No, what Naruto was worried about was the little talk he was going to have with his girlfriend.

Because as talented as he was at other things, he sucked at finding the right words to say. At least, that's what he thought.

So after halftime was when he felt his stomach twist into knots and his hands get cold and clammy. He just wished he knew what was about to happen.

He found Hinata waiting for him at the gate, smiling shyly, somehow managing to look cute even in a marching uniform, no makeup, and a moderate case of hat-hair.

"Hey beautiful." He said as he reached tentatively for her hand. "Talk to me."

_***Haha, sorry, I had to! xD**_

_**I guess I'll end it there. It's... suspenseful. To be honest, I think this chapter sucked and I really owe you guys a lot more, but this one was kind of just a lull, an in-between of sorts. I had to tell what happened and, well, what happened wasn't all that great. So I'm sorry. And I won't be posting this chapter until I have the next one written.**_

_**And by the way, nothing really against football players, either. Some of them really are ingrateful assholes and stupid dickheads and idiots with brains the size of walnuts, buuuut most of them are perfectly decent human beings. Really. I know quite a few of them.**_

_**Also by the way, If you don't like the way I've characterized Sasuke well... That's pretty much too damn bad, because he doesn't change for the better. At least, not in this story.**_

_**Oh and... My favorite person in the whole wide world quit band.**_

_**Yeah. Yesterday was not one of my better days.**_

_**Anyway, go ahead to the next chapter, aka the good part of this one.**_

_**Less than three...  
--Lina**_


	10. Happiness

He really hoped she wouldn't just smack his hand away. Because she easily could, and if she did, he wouldn't know what to do.

But thankfully, she took it.

"About what?" She asked ever-so-innocently, blushing slightly, studying their linked hands as they started to walk.

"You running off from me."

"Sorry." She apologized reflexively.

"No, it's okay... I just wanted to know if there was a reason."

"Well... You remember our first performance? Freshman year, I mean. The first time we ever marched onto this field. The first time I'd ever marched at all."

"How could I forget it was so-- Oh yeah, that's when you fainted, and we thought they were gonna take you to the hospital and--"

"Yeah, that one. Do you remember why? Why I fainted?"

"Didn't they say... Dehydration?" Naruto said uncertainly, wondering what the hell this had to do with her running from him.

"Yes. But that's not actually why."

"Okay... then what is?"

"Well... When any normal person gets nervous or scared, their brain gets basically this dose of adreniline, and runs mainly on instinct rather than learned habits. A fight or flight response."

She looks at him like 'gotit?', and he nods.

"Well, for some reason, when I get nervous, I have this excess of adreniline, meaning it speeds up my heart rate and my breathing, past what the normal amount should do. And as a result of that, if I get really embarassed or scared or stressed or whatever, I have to either get out of there fast or try real hard to just calm down, because if I don't, my heart rate will increase until I faint."

"Um, wow... I had no idea. I didn't even know that kind of thing even existed."

"Yeah. it's really really rare, and its not really dangerous under most circumstances. Just embarassing."

"Well, that's good at least. So you ran from me because..."

"Naruto its _obvious_." She answered defensively, turning away so he couldn't see her face.

"And I've never been good at the obvious, my dear."

She sighed.

"Because when I saw you n-nearly naked, I c-c-couldn't exactly help b-b-but stare..." She said, her voice climbing higher and higher in pitch.

"Really?" Naruto asked smugly, even as he was blushing himself.

"Of course. You have the best.... Well th-the only... The most... M-most beautiful... Everything."

He laughed. "That's not true."

"W-why not?"

"How could I ever hope to be more beautiful than you?"

She looked away, embarassed at his obvious compliments, but truly loving them.

He saw how bright she was blushing and apologized.

"No its fine... I know you mean it, you're not just saying things to ge-- erm, t-to, to m-m-mock me."

"Of course not." He answered, very honestly, and squeezed her hand.

She smiled. "Naruto..."

"Yeah?"

"You have no idea how much the little things matter."

"Uh, thanks?"

"Yeah, that's a good thing." She said, giggling softly.

By now, they'd wandered over to the concession stand on the home side, where they saw Sakura, Kiba and Ino. Hinata elbowed Naruto, not forcefully. "Watch." She hissed, directing her eyes at the three.

Ino was leaned back against the counter, facing Kiba. "Kiba... can I have some caaaandy?" She was begging.

Hinata put her hand over her mouth, like 'Oh God...'

"Well, I should have..." He stuck his hand in his uniform-pocket and searched around (It's real easy to lose things in those pockets. They're oddly shaped and huge.) "I, uh... heheh_... _should have a ten, but I think I left it in the bar..."

Ino sighed. "Okay. Chocolate would make me fat anyway, so it's okay." She wandered away, and Kiba looked at Sakura sheepishly.

"I'll wait for you, if you're gonna get something."

"What do you want? I'll pay, it's cool."

"Ah, you don't--"

"If you're gonna stand there and talk, can ya get outta the way? We're losin' customers here.", an annoyed concession-stand-booster-parent snapped at Sakura.

"No, sorry, can I get a hot dog and a red Powerade?" She asked with her sweetest smile.

The man raised an eyebrow and called back the order.

"What do you want?" Sakura asked the trumpet player.

"Oh I shouldn't..."

"And a Mountain Dew," She said to the annoyed parent, knowing that was Kiba's favorite drink, "And?" she asked Kiba.

"Cheese fries." he admitted.

She looks at the annoyed band dad as if to say 'what he said.'

Again, he yells to the others in the back, and Kiba and Sakura move out of the way.

"You know the guy's supposed to pay for the girl."

Sakura was tempted to let her temper get the best of her, tempted to say 'Maybe when the girl's a whore like Ino', or 'That only happens when he doesn't think she's ugly', or even 'Seems like you don't really give a damn what you're _supposed_ to do.'

Instead, she replied, cutely, coyly, "I'm being original."

"I like your kind of original." Kiba commented flirtatiously, with a sidelong wink.

"Don't get used to it, horn boy." She grabbed her food and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Kiba wondering.

"Damn..." He muttered. He took the remaining food and made his way toward the band bleachers.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx  
**  
"Tenten?"

"Yeah?"

"I just... Well, I was thinking, and... I want... You should know..."

Tenten looked at the dressed-up drum major, waiting on him to say it. For she knew he was trying to apologize, but that apologizing wasn't normally something done by the high-horse Hyuugas with their ridiculous pride. Especially the guys of the family. And making him say it was punishment enough. If he said the two words, (well, technically three words), she would forgive him.

"That I... Um..."

She was tempted to laugh at his struggle, his endearing troubled expression.

"It was wrong of me to yell at you."

She blinked a few times. "And?"

"I shouldn't have done it."

*ahem* "Aand..."

"I didn't mean to make you cry."

_"Aand..."_

Neji sighed. "And I'm sorry."

Tenten finally smiled, and nearly jumped on him hugging him. "I forgive you!"

He awkwardly hugged her back, after he got his balance back and realized she was the thing that had made him lose it.

"T-h-a-n-k-s?" He said slowly.

"Oh no, thank you, my Neji." She said, giggling.

"Why?" He asked defensively.

"Because you proved I must be important to you. Hyuugas never apologize."

He blushed. "Well, not never. I mean, if there's a good reason, they're not going to be irrational and angry about it for no reason..."

"God forbid you ever be irrational, Neji." She said teasingly, getting off of him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh nothing..."

"Seriously, what?"

"Nothing."

"Tay..."

"It was a stupid comment, I was trying to make you angry."

"Why?"

"Cause you're cute when you're mad." She said, before she could stop herself. She slapped a hand over her mouth.

Neji stared at her, getting more and more red by the second.

Neither of them spoke, until Neji said an awkward 'Thanks...'

"One minute to be in place! If you're not back by now, no third quarter next week."

"I should go..." Tenten said and hurried off.

Meanwhile, Naruto and Hinata were dashing through the crowd.

"Why didn't you tell me we had a minute left?"

"I didn't know..." Naruto answered guiltily.

The end-of-quarter bell went off, and the rest of the band started playing, just as they started up the stairs to the bleachers.

"Oh fuck..."

Hinata didn't even hit him for cursing in uniform.

"Next game. Is going. To suck." She sighed.

**-After the rest of the game was over-**

Everyone else in the band room and the bar was in a hurry. In a hurry to get dressed, in a hurry to get home, in a hurry to forget about the Ninjas' humiliating loss.

Except Naruto and Hinata. They slowly wandered back from the field, slowly put their instruments up, slowly found their clothes and put their uniforms up. They talked the whole time, as people gradually filtered out of the bar. Now Naruto was sitting on the floor lacing his orange Converses, and Hinata was standing over him, carrying on with some story about her and her little sister.

Something about a playground and a little boy and a trampoline.

Trampoline... The word rang in Naruto's head as he imagined him and his beautiful girlfriend doing less than innocent things on his trampoline... So dirty, so hot, so..._ bouncy..._

"Um, you want me to do that?" Hinata woke him from his daydream.

"Do what?"

"Your shoelaces? Seeing as you can't seem to get them yourself?" She mocked.

"Oh! Well, in fact, I wouldn't mind." He said, grinning and pulling her down by her hands and arms.

"Ah! I wasn't serious!" She squealed as he pulled her down over him.

They were face to face, so close that Hinata could feel his hot breath against her skin as he whispered "But maybe I am." His tone gave her chills and suddenly their light playing turned into a very heavy moment.

"And besides, it's not my fault. I was distracted." He continued.

"By what?"

"Something."

"What kind of something?"

"A beautiful something."

"What beautiful something?"

"You."

She gasped.

He smirked.

She blushed and shut her eyes.

He did the same.

And kissed her.

Hinata melted on the inside. He had the softest lips in the whole world, and they felt so right against hers. It seemed forever they stayed there, mouths pressed together, before she looked back up, into his eyes.

His beautiful blue eyes.

She didn't know if she'd ever been this simply happy before.

So she kissed him again.

She felt him smile and felt her heart beating faster, faster.

She kissed him hard before she stopped to take a deep breath, to make her hands stop shaking.

"You okay?"

"Better." She said as she got up and pulled him with her. "You make me wanna scream."

Naruto grinned. "That's what I'm here for."

She didn't know whether to hit him or hug him.

They walked out of the bar, and the second they were outside the building, Naruto skillfully tripped over his still-untied shoelace.

"Oh for the love of..." Hinata muttered.

She bent down, tied the damn knot in the string and helped up her clumsy, but lovable boyfriend.

"What can I say?" Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head in that 'I-feel-awkward' way of his. "You got me trippin."

Hinata rolled her eyes. "Shut up..." She mumbled, play-hitting him.

"Hey, I was just being honest. Honesty is a virtue and--"

She put a finger to his lips. "And silence is golden."

"Hey!"

She grinned. "Kidding. I wanna hear everything. Even the cheesy things. Even the sad things and the obnoxious things and the mundane things and the irrational things and the things you don't tell anyone else. All of it." She kissed his cheek. "I mean it."

He touched his cheek, as if he was trying to capture the feeling of the kiss.

"Thanks." He looked at her affectionately, before kissing her forehead one last time and hugging her tight.

"I guess I should go cause my dad's waiting on me. Unless you wanna come."

"Sure. Father won't be here for a while, he never comes to my games." She said, sheepishly.

"Oh..." He said, as they started to walk, "You want us to take you home?"

"No, I'll be fine."

"All alone?"

"Wouldn't be the first time." She commented ruefully, "Won't be the last."

"If you say so."

She felt almost strange that he had offered to do that. He never would have been that thoughtful. But he was nothing like Naruto. She told herself, as she had over and over.

She kept telling herself over and over as she talked with Naruto and his dad, who was actually pretty cool in a nerdly-dad kind of way.

He never had her around his parents. It was always 'alone together'...

Alone.

Always alone.

As alone as she felt twenty minutes later when her dad finally showed up and they sat in stony silence after he apologized for being late. (Which, by the way, was a lie, because he always showed up late.

Outside, she sat silently, seemingly stoic and robotic, but inside, she was bursting at the seams with words.

_'Finally'_ seemed to show up the most, of all the thoughts, along with the simple-yet-so-complex word that made people do crazy things.

_'Happiness.'_

_**I had a hard time deciding where to end this one. First, I thbought I'd end it at the kiss, but it seemed like there should be more. Then, I thought I'd end it at "Thanks" after Hinata's little speech. But oh, how I pressed on. (Why does that sound wrong?)  
There is MORE TO COME! It may be a while, like this one was, but there IS MORE. I PROMISE. Thank you to every single person that reviewed, alerted, and/or favorited me and this story. You guys are the only thing that keeps me going sometimes, so I gotta thank you. I just hope you guys enjoyed these past two chapters (Plus the other eight, lol) as much as I am enjoying writing them, and keep reading if you want to find out the DEEP DARK PAST! Dundunduuuuunnnn! Haha, I don't take myself that seriously, don't worry.**_

_**Oh and, that favorite person in the world, the one that quit band? He's now dating my least favorite person in the world. A girl who is pretty much the school whore, and slept with a friend of mine while she was dating his best friend. Among doing other things that I don't feel like saying. Long story short, she's a whore. And if she hurts him, she better watch out...  
--Lina//TroubledThoughts--**_


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